Jack Gilbert
Love is everything
though of course, love dies
leaving you in agony
and then you die
and worms crawl in and out of your skull.
But the alternative is worse—
mope around, hate yourself
and then die. Worms
will still crawl in and out of your skull
whether or not you stood on top
of the White Mountains to watch
the sun explode into the Sea of Crete
or tasted the skin of a woman
soaked in sweat and wine.
Drink this wine, the Lord said.
It’s my heart
slashed and drained.
P. Scott Cunningham is the producer/director of O, Miami, a month-long poetry project, fully-funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The goal of O, Miami is for every single person in Miami-Dade County to encounter a poem between April 1st and April 30th, 2011.
